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A Cartesian Critique of the Artificial Intelligence

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A Cartesian Critique of the Artificial Intelligence Philosophical Papers and Reviews Vol. 2(3), pp. 27-33, October 2010 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/PPR ©2010 Academic Journals Review A Cartesian critique of the artificial intelligence Rajakishore Nath Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai-76, Indian. E-mail: [email protected]. Accepted 26 May, 2010 This paper deals with the philosophical problems concerned with research in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), in particular with problems arising out of claims that AI exhibits ‘consciousness’, ‘thinking’ and other ‘inner’ processes and that they simulate human intelligence and cognitive processes in general. The argument is to show how Cartesian mind is non-mechanical. Descartes’ concept of ‘I think’ presupposes subjective experience, because it is ‘I’ who experiences the world. Likewise, Descartes’ notion of ‘I’ negates the notion of computationality of the mind. The essence of mind is thought and the acts of thoughts are identified with the acts of consciousness. Therefore, it follows that cognitive acts are conscious acts, but not computational acts. Thus, for Descartes, one of the most important aspects of cognitive states and processes is their phenomenality, because our judgments, understanding, etc. can be defined and explained only in relation to consciousness and not in relation to computationality. We can only find computationality in machines and not in the mind, which wills, understands and judges. Key words: Cartesian mind, artificial intelligence, physical symbols, non-mechanical mind, thought, intelligence, cognitive, intentionality, subjectivity. INTRODUCTION It is not wrong to compare Descartes’ idea with the idea with problems arising from claims that AI exhibits of artificial intelligence (AI). Although the association of ‘consciousness’, ‘thinking’ and other ‘inner’ processes Descartes’ name with the notion of AI is bound to cause and that they simulate human intelligence and cognitive some surprise both to the followers of Descartes and AI process in general. This paper deals with how Descartes’ scientists, the term ‘AI’, even though unnamed, was idea of mind is non-mechanistic. The study shall begin by already born in the period when Descartes was alive. It is giving a brief characterization of AI and how it defines true that AI is a distinct discipline, yet its philosophical mind. Secondly, an attempt will be made to understand problems are very important in the present scenario. In the nature of mind presupposed by artificial intelligence. the modern philosophy, we find that Descartes was As such, the study shall discuss about the nature of mind wondering whether or not it would be possible to create a because without proper understanding of Descartes’ machine that would be phenomenologically indistin- notion of mind, it is impossible to discuss contemporary guishable from man. He also advocated that animals are philosophy of mind. Lastly, there is an argument that simply machines and human beings, if someone is set to Descartes’ idea of mind is non-mechanistic because the possess an immaterial soul, might also simply be way AI scientists define mind is completely mechanistic considered as machines. One important concern is and to which the notion of computationality is applicable manifestation of his consideration of what it would mean and the mental qualities are credible to machines, but not to say that a machine thinks (Descartes, 2003). to minds. The main aim in this paper is to clarify We know what AI is and what it does in our unreflective Descartes’ notion of mind from a subjective point of view. moments. As such, when AI scientists ascribe the mental It is believed that Descartes’ notion of mind cannot be qualities or mind to machines, then this mechanistic explained or characterized in an artificial intelligence construction of mind brings about many philosophical approach and that they are the subjective mental states issues. This paper deals with philosophical problems which we can seen from the first-person perspective of connected with research in the field of AI, in particular their proper understanding. 28 Philos. Papers Rev. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE of intelligent activity of human beings in various ways. The hypothesis of artificial intelligence and its Artificial intelligence attempts to understand intelligent corollaries are empirical in nature whose truth or falsity is entities; but unlike philosophy, which is concerned with to be determined by experiment and empirical test. The intelligence, AI strives to build intelligent entities as well method of testing the results of artificial intelligence as understand them. There are many philosophers and comprises the following: many scientists who define AI differently. Haugeland defines artificial intelligence as, “the exciting new effort to (i) In the narrow sense, artificial intelligence is part of make computers think…. machines with minds, in the full computer science, aimed at exploring the range of tasks and literal sense” (Haugeland, 1989). On the other hand, over which computers can be programmed to behave according to Bellman, it is “the automation of activities intelligently. Thus, it is the study of the ways computers that we associate with human thinking and activities such can be made to perform cognitive tasks, which generally as decision making, problem of solving learning…”( human beings undertake. Bellman, 1978). Let us look at these two definitions from (ii) In the wider sense, artificial intelligence is aimed at different angles. Here, Haugeland and Bellman point out programs that simulate the actual processes that human that artificial intelligence is concerned with thought beings undergo in their intelligent behavior, and these process and reasoning. They have explained the simulated programs are taken as theories describing and machines as a mind that is completely associated with explaining human performance. Moreover, they are human thinking, that is to say, computers do think. tested by comparing the computer output with the human People with widely varying back-grounds and behaviour to determine whether both the result and also professional knowledge are contributing new ideas and the actual behaviour of computers and persons are introducing new tools in this discipline. Cognitive closely similar (Simon, 1987). psychologists have developed new models of the mind based on the fundamental concepts of artificial A digital computer is also an example of a physical intelligence, symbols, systems and information pro- symbol system, a system that has the capability of input, cessing. Linguists are also interested in these basic output, storing, etc., following different courses of notions while developing different models in computa- operation. These systems are capable of producing tional linguistics, and philosophers, in considering the intelligence depending on the level of mechanical progress, problems and potential of this work towards sophistication they have. The computers with these non-human intelligence, have sometimes found solution capabilities behave intelligently like human beings, to the age-old problems of the nature of mind and according to the AI researchers. knowledge. However, we know that artificial intelligence is a part of computer science in which there are designed intelligent MIND IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE systems that exhibit the characteristics we associate with intelligence in human behaviour, understanding language Here, the states of mind in artificial intelligence will be learning, reasoning, problem solving and so on. It is explored. As we know, the main aim of artificial believed that insights into the nature of the mind can be intelligence is to reproduce mental mechanisms in gained by studying the operation of such systems. machines. That is to say, AI aims at producing machines Artificial intelligence researchers have invented dozens of with mind. Therefore, artificial intelligence is the discipline programming techniques that support intelligent that attempts to understand the nature of human behaviour. As such, artificial intelligence research may intelligence through the construction of computer have impact on science and technology in the following programs that imitate intelligent behavior. It also way: emphasizes the functions of the human brain and the analogical functioning of the digital computer. If we say (i) It can solve some difficult problems in chemistry, that machines have minds, then we have to ascribe biology, geology, engineering and medicine. certain ‘belief’, ‘knowledge’, ‘free will’, ‘intention’, (ii) It can manipulate robotic devices to perform some ‘observations’, etc. to a machine. In that case, the useful, repetitive and sensory-motor tasks. machines will perform intelligent tasks and thus will behave like human beings. According to one extreme Besides, artificial intelligence researchers investigated view, the human brain is just a digital computer and the different kinds of computation and different ways of mind is a computer program. This view, as John Searle describing computation in an effort not just to create calls it, is strong artificial intelligence (Searle, 1996). intelligent artifacts, but also to understand what According to strong artificial intelligence, “the intelligence is. According to Charniak and McDermott, appropriately programmed computer with the right inputs (Tanimoto, 1987), their basic tenet is to create computers and outputs literally has a
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